Chi: The Secret Life Force Energy that Gives Life… 

Like many other ancient civilizations, the Chinese culture have always had the understanding of ‘Chi’ or subtle life force – so what exactly is ‘Chi’ and how does it work to help us? 

The translation of ‘Chi’ means vital life force energy…  The Indians know it as “prana,” the Japanese call it “Ki”, the native Polynesians called it “mana,” the Tibetans call it “Lung,” the Egyptians called it “Ankh” – in Latin it is called “Elan Vital.”  Basically ‘Chi’ means the subtle vital energy that surrounds every living being and every living (atomic) thing…

Here’s how the Chinese think of it:

Acupuncture is based upon the understanding that ‘Chi’ flows through meridians which are considered to be the invisible lines of energy within the body that governs the health of the body.  No-one will ever be able to tell how acupuncture really works but we know that when our meridians are block we are unwell… and when they flow freely and properly we are healthy.

Martial Arts recognizes that ‘Chi’ runs in our body in various ways and they understand it can be harnessed, transferred and projected to deflect and protect against attacks.

Chinese Calligraphy is said to capture the essence of ‘Chi’ on the page or in the art…  And this is why such artworks are completely loved and considered to be very valuable by the Chinese.

Food is also said to be governed by ‘Chi’ which is hardly surprising since food does grow completely via an invisible means (the sun, moisture in the air, soil, etc).  And the thing that’s profound about food in the Chinese Medicine System is the way in which the Chinese prefer to eat food that’s in season vs food that’s kept in storage.  They believe that when we eat food in season – our bodies gain more strength from the nutrients than at any other time.  This is not such a strange concept when you consider the fact that the five elements automatically grow watermelon in summer and root vegetables in winter.  After all, it certainly seems more natural to eat soup in winter and salad in summer (unless you are in a hot climate) right?

So when it comes to the topic of Feng Shui:
The Ancient Scholars and Masters of Feng Shui recognized that when we set ourselves up to be in harmony with the subtle invisible forces of ‘Chi’ and the positive elements that naturally occur in the environment – we would automatically experience good fortune.  Likewise, they observed that we aligned ourselves with bad ‘Chi’ and negative things in nature – the outcome would be bad luck, difficulty, obstacles and misfortune.

So the ultimate aim of Feng Shui is to align with the good and use the tools of interior design, architecture and the art of placement/arrangement in a thoughtful way to enhance life and bring out the best in everyone’s fortune.

Feng Shui believes: when can align ourselves to positive people and positive thing in life we have more chance to create good fortune and become prosperous.  Similarly, when we align ourselves to negative people, negative influences and negative environments… the outcome becomes… exactly what those same energies create. 🙂